Which is More Embarrassing: Reading Fifty Shades of Grey in Public or Buying Condoms?

The Associated Press has at long last addressed the social stigma assigned to people who read the bodice-ripping bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James in public. In an article that may as well be called, “We're Onto You: Why to Hide Your Mommy Porn, Especially Around Your 13-Year-Old Brother,” they polled admitted readers. Said fans of the book—which will soon be adapted for the screen in a film hopefully not starring Dakota Fanning and Mitt Romney—describe a few embarrassing incidents surrounding Fifty Shades of Grey discovery mishaps. Meanwhile, Laura Keesee, 25, explains the very particular public Fifty Shades of Grey-related humiliation in easy-to-understand grocery shopping terms: “Going into the bookstore and standing in line with the hard copies of the book, I would feel a little bashful. It's like standing in the grocery line buying condoms or tampons. Everyone knows what's going on.”

. . . which raises the question, “Isn't buying Fifty Shades of Greymore embarrassing than buying condoms?” After all, it does not lead to sex—safe or otherwise—only to shameful book club meetings. Discuss!